An air dam which provides at least one panel which operates between an open condition and a closed condition in the open space established between a truck coupled to a trailer to alter a part of an air stream generated about the truck-trailer during travel.
Typically, the towing vehicle (often referred to a truck or a tractor) of a truck-trailer (often referred to as a tractor-trailer) provides a wide coupling plate known as a fifth wheel coupling. When the truck and trailer are coupled by the fifth wheel coupling (or other type of coupling) an open space between the truck and the trailer can be defined by the external surfaces of the truck chassis deck (or “deck”), the backside of the tractor and the front side of the trailer. The open space established between the truck and the trailer may not be used for any purpose other than to allow the truck and trailer to articulate about the coupling axis during operation.
A substantial problem of conventional truck-trailer configurations having an open space established between the truck and the trailer may be that the open space disrupts the air stream about the truck-trailer generating resistance to forward travel of the truck-trailer. The disruption of the air stream or the resistance generated by the disruption of the air stream by the open space can increase as the speed of the truck-trailer increases. With the increased price of fuel, it has become ever more important for drivers to utilize a truck-trailer having a configuration which alters the air stream about the truck-trailer to achieve the least or a reduced amount of air stream resistance to travel of the truck-trailer.
Various impediments to providing a solution to the problem of generating a reduced resistance air stream about the open space between the truck and the trailer include a lack of air stream alteration means which operate between an open condition and a closed condition to allow articulation between the truck and the trailer or to provide access and egress of the open space. Additionally, many conventional air dams which completely surround the open space may be prohibitively expensive to utilize or do not generate a substantial reduction in the resistance of the truck-trailer to the air stream because gaps between the air dam and the trailer create additional substantial disruption of air stream which can increase rather than decrease resistance of the truck-trailer during forward travel.
Moreover, it is believed that it was not known prior to the invention described herein that generating an air stream of the proper direction and velocity in the open space between the truck-trailer can be effective in generating a reduced resistance air stream which allows travel of the truck-trailer using a reduced amount of fuel.
The inventive air dam described-herein addresses each of the above-described problems in a practical manner.